Marine Scotland Science: directory

Dr Berit Rabe

Environment Monitoring And Assessment Programme
Oceanography Group
Inshore Physical Oceanographer

E-mail: Berit.Rabe@gov.scot or B.Rabe@marlab.ac.uk

Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, UK

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Details of specialism

My research interests relate to coastal, inshore, dynamic, and fjordic oceanography. I am involved in multi-disciplinary projects in both specific sea lochs and the whole of the Scottish west coast, investigating sea lice dispersal (using field data and bio-physical modelling). Understanding the underlying oceanographic conditions is crucial to sustainably manage our marine resources and I am keen to analyse aquaculture environment interactions. Another aspect of my work is studying the circulation further offshore in the Faroe-Shetland-Channel, continuing our long-term oceanographic measurements in that region, and I am interested in Atlantic/Arctic exchanges in general.

Other work strands I am involved in include:

• advising on marine licence applications and other licensing issues with regard to hydrography
• Marine Scotland Science’s Athena-SWAN team, especially involvement in the Organisation and Culture sub-group and focussing on a Scientist-In-Charge Pathway
• investigating sea lice monitoring strategies and giving advice on sea lice for different projects
• ecological carrying capacity advice in-house and as part of an International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) working group 
• supervising a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen who is investigating flame shells using genetics and bio-physical modelling

Main policy links

• finfish aquaculture
• marine planning (science advice)
• marine licencing
• environmental monitoring

External committees and responsibilities

• member of International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) working group on ecological carrying capacity
• member of the Advisory Board for an EU Horizon 2020 project
• member of EU Horizon 2020 Blue Action project
• invited reviewer for scientific journals and proposals for the US National Science Foundation
• University of Aberdeen – visiting lecturer and honorary staff
• STEM ambassador
• member of MSS’s Athena SWAN team
• collaborations with SEPA, SAMS, international institutes and colleagues

Papers of relevance

Rabe B, Gallego A, Wolf J, O'Hara Murray R, Stuiver C, Price D and Johnson H (2020) Applied connectivity modelling at local to regional scale: The potential for sea lice transmission between Scottish finfish aquaculture management areas. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 238, 106716.

Salama NKG, Dale AC, Ivanov VV, Cook PF, Pert CC, Collins CM and Rabe B (2018) Using biological-physical modelling for informing sea lice dispersal in Loch Linnhe, Scotland. Journal of Fish Diseases 41, 901-919. 

Rabe B and Hindson J (2017) Forcing mechanisms and hydrodynamics in Loch Linnhe, a dynamically wide Scottish estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 196, 159-172. 

Salama NKG, Murray AG and Rabe B (2016) Simulated environmental transport distances of Lepeophtheirus salmonis in Loch Linnhe, Scotland for informing aquaculture area management structures. Journal of Fish Diseases 39, 419 – 428.

Salama NKG and Rabe B (2013) Developing models for investigating the environmental transmission of disease-causing agents within open-cage salmon aquaculture. Aquaculture Environment Interactions 4, 91-115.

Details of linked research pages

Berit Rabe’s ResearchGate profile